Tea, which is the most widely consumed beverage in the world other than water, is produced from the leaves of Camellia Sinensis and contain significant amounts of flavanoid compounds. Theaflavins, which comprise a mixture of theaflavin, theaflavin-3-gallate, theaflavin-3′-gallate and theaflavin-3,3′-digallate, as depicted in FIG. 1, are typically formed via polymerization of green tea polyphenols (i.e., flavanoids) during fermentation of green tea to black tea. Typically, the concentration of theaflavins in black tea is between about 0.4% to about 1.8% by weight with the concentration of theaflavins in green tea usually being far less.
Theaflavins are responsible for the characteristic color (i.e., brightness) and flavor (i.e., briskness) of black tea. Flavanoids are effective anti-oxidants (Leung et al., J Nutr 2001, 131(9):2248–51; Sarkar et al., Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2001, 284(1):173–8; Yoshino et al., Biol. Pharm Bull. 1994, 17(1) 146–149) and may be efficacious against various diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, diabetes, etc. Further, flavanoids may possess significant anti-inflammatory antimicrobial and antiviral activity.
However, a significant problem in using theaflavins to treat or prevent various diseases is isolating theaflavins, either as a mixture or as individual compounds, in sufficient quantities, from naturally occurring sources using an economical procedure. Thus, what is needed are methods for isolating theaflavins, either as a mixture or as individual compounds, in sufficient quantities in a cost effective manner so that theaflavins, either as a mixture or as individual compounds, may be used to treat or prevent various diseases.